Chair having flexibility between seat and back

ABSTRACT

A chair includes a support assembly, a chair seat coupled to the support assembly, a chair back and a buckle. A lower portion of the buckle is coupled to the support assembly, while an upper portion of the buckle is coupled to a bottom portion of the chair back. The buckle is configured to orient the chair back at an obtuse angle relative to the seat and is flexible in certain embodiments to vary the angle. The top portion of the chair back includes a top edge and a slot formed in the top edge that extends toward the bottom portion to divide the chair back into left and right portions that can flex relative to each other.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a non-provisional of and claims priority toco-pending provisional application No. 61/589,916, filed on Jan. 24,2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

relates to the field of chairs and, particularly, to chairs capable offlexion and extension between the chair seat and the chair back.

BACKGROUND

Some chairs include chair backs that are fixed relative to the chairseats such that the chair back is not movable relative to the chairseat. Some such chair backs are arranged at an obtuse angle relative tothe chair seat to provide additional comfort to a user using the chair.It is desirable to provide a chair wherein the angle of the chair backrelative to the chair seat is variable so that the chair will move whena user leans back in the chair enabling additional comfort.

Chairs having variable angles between the chair back and the chair seatare configured to balance maintaining the structural integrity of thechair with allowing sufficient movement and flexibility to enhance thecomfort of the user. One way this balance is achieved is by positioningsome kind of bending assembly between the chair seat and the chair back.Such bending assemblies, however, are generally relatively bulky,requiring chairs having variable angles to be substantially larger andless compact than chairs with non-variable angles. Accordingly, it isdesirable to provide a chair having a variable angle between the chairback and the chair seat that has a relatively small and streamlinedconfiguration.

Additionally, chairs having variable angles including such bendingassemblies usually require more parts, complicating the construction ofthe chair and increasing the cost to make the chair compared to chairswith non-variable angles. Accordingly, it is also desirable to provide achair having a variable angle that is simple and inexpensive toconstruct. Additionally, chairs having variable angles including suchbending assemblies are usually configured having the bending assembliesextending from the chairs such that the chairs are not easily stackablefor high density storage. Accordingly, it is also desirable to provide achair having a variable angle that is configured to be stackable suchthat it can be stored compactly with a plurality of such chairs. In viewof the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide an improved chairhaving flexibility between the chair back and the chair seat that isrelatively small and streamlined, is simple and inexpensive toconstruct, and is stackable for high density storage.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, a chair is providedwhich includes a support assembly, a chair seat, a buckle, and a chairback. The chair seat is coupled to the support assembly. The buckle hasa buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion. The buckle lowerportion is coupled to the support assembly. The chair back includes achair back bottom portion and a chair back top portion. The chair backbottom portion is coupled to the buckle upper portion. The chair backtop portion includes a top edge and a slot formed in the top edge thatextends toward the chair back bottom portion. The slot is arrangedbetween a chair back left portion and a chair back right portion. Theslot allows the chair back left portion to move relative to the chairback right portion.

In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair isprovided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, a couplingassembly, and a chair back. The chair seat is coupled to the supportassembly. The coupling assembly includes a buckle and a vertical panel.The buckle has a buckle upper portion arranged at an angle relative to abuckle lower portion. The buckle lower portion is coupled to the supportassembly, and the buckle upper portion has at least one vertical rail.The buckle also has a buckle bend portion arranged between the buckleupper portion and the buckle lower portion. The buckle bend portionincludes ribs formed in the buckle which allow the buckle bend portionto flex to vary the angle. The vertical panel slidably mates with the atleast one vertical rail. The chair back is coupled to the at least onevertical panel.

In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair isprovided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, a chair back,and a coupling assembly. The chair seat is coupled to the supportassembly. The chair back has a chair back front side and a chair backback side. The coupling assembly includes a buckle and a slot. Thebuckle has a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion. The bucklelower portion is coupled to the support assembly, and the buckle upperportion has at least one tab. The slot is formed in the chair back sideand receives the at least one tab to fix a position of the chair backrelative to the buckle.

In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair isprovided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, and a chairback. The support assembly has a lower portion, a bend portion, and anupright portion. The support assembly includes at least one insert whichis received within the bend portion. The support assembly furtherincludes at least one cap which extends at least partially within theupright portion. The chair seat is coupled to the lower portion. Thechair back is coupled to the upright portion and is arranged at anobtuse angle relative to the chair seat.

In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair isprovided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, chair arms, acoupling assembly, and a chair back. The chair seat is coupled to thesupport assembly. The chair seat has a left portion, a right portion, afront portion, and a back portion. The chair arms are integrally formedwith and extend outwardly from the left portion and the right portion ofthe chair seat. Each of the chair arms has an inward portion, an outwardportion, a front portion, and a back portion. The front portions and theback portions of each of the chair arms are coincident with the frontportion and the back portion of the chair seat. Each of the chair armsis tapered such that the front portions and the back portions of each ofthe chair arms are closer together at the outward portions than at theinward portions. The coupling assembly is coupled to the supportassembly. The chair back is coupled to the coupling assembly.

The above described features and advantages, as well as others, willbecome more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art byreference to the following detailed description and accompanyingdrawings. While it would be desirable to provide a chair havingflexibility between the seat and back that provides one or more of theseor other advantageous features, the teachings disclosed herein extend tothose embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims,regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentionedadvantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features of the chair having flexibility between the chair seat andchair back are apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts a top front perspective view of a chair according to thedisclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts a bottom front perspective view of a chair back of thechair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a top back perspective view of a chair seat of the chairof FIG. 1.

FIG. 4. depicts a top front perspective view of a support assembly ofthe chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts a top front perspective view of a coupling assembly ofthe chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 depicts a side plan view of the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 depicts a top front perspective view of a plurality of the chairof FIG. 1 stacked together.

FIG. 8 depicts a support assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 depicts a support assembly and a chair seat for use with thechair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 depicts an exploded perspective view of a coupling assembly foruse with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 depicts an exploded view of a coupling assembly for use with thechair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 depicts an exploded view of a coupling assembly and a chair backfor use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 depicts a top front perspective view of a buckle of a couplingassembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 depicts an exploded view of a support assembly for use with thechair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 depicts a back perspective view of another embodiment of a chairaccording to the disclosure.

FIG. 16 depicts a perspective view of a spacer for use with the chair ofFIG. 15.

FIG. 17 depicts an exploded perspective view of a back spacer assemblyfor use with the chair of FIG. 15.

DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings and described in the following written specification. It isunderstood that no limitation to the scope of the invention is therebyintended. It is further understood that the present invention includesan alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments andincludes further applications of the principles of the invention aswould normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this inventionpertains.

As shown in FIG. 1, a chair 100 includes a chair front portion 104, achair back portion 108, a chair left portion 112, a chair right portion116, a chair top portion 120, and a chair bottom portion 124. Forclarity, the chair 100 is divided into these portions by threeorthogonal planes. The frontal plane 128 separates the chair frontportion 104 from the chair back portion 108. The medial plane 132 isorthogonal to the frontal plane 128 and separates the chair left portion112 from the chair right portion 116. The transverse plane 136 isorthogonal to both the frontal plane 128 and the medial plane 132 andseparates the chair top portion 120 from the chair bottom portion 124.Relative positions and directions of features of the chair 100 will bereferred to herein using these three planes.

Specifically, as used herein, “forward” refers to the directionorthogonal to the frontal plane 128 toward the chair front portion 104and “backward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the frontal plane128 toward the chair back portion 108. As used herein, “inward” refersto the direction orthogonal to the medial plane 132 toward the medialplane 132 and “outward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the medialplane 132 away from the medial plane 132. As used herein, “upward”refers to the direction orthogonal to the transverse plane 136 towardthe chair top portion 120, and “downward” refers to the directionorthogonal to the transverse plane 136 toward the chair bottom portion124.

The chair 100 further includes a chair back 140, a chair seat 144, asupport assembly 148, and a coupling assembly 152. The chair back 140(described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2) is coupled tothe coupling assembly 152 and is located in the chair back portion 108and the chair top portion 120. The chair seat 144 (described in moredetail below with reference to FIG. 3) is coupled to the supportassembly 148 and the majority of the chair seat 144 is located in thechair front portion 104. The support assembly 148 (described in moredetail below with reference to FIG. 4) is located in the chair bottomportion 124. The coupling assembly 152 (described in more detail belowwith reference to FIG. 10) has a bent shape and is coupled to thesupport assembly 148 such that it extends from the chair front potion104 and the chair bottom portion 124 to the chair back portion 108 andthe chair top portion 120.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the chair back 140 includes a chair back frontside 156 facing forwardly and a chair back side 160 arranged oppositethe chair back front side 156 and facing backwardly. The chair alsoincludes a chair back top portion 164, a chair back bottom portion 168,a chair back left portion 172, and a chair back right portion 176. Thechair back left portion 172 is arranged to the left of the medial plane132 (shown in FIG. 1) and the chair back right portion 176 is arrangedto the right of the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1).

The chair back 140 is constructed out of polypropylene such that thechair back 140 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its originalshape when the force is removed. In another embodiment, the chair back140 need not be constructed out of polypropylene, but is constructed outof a material having substantially similar properties such that thechair back 140 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its originalshape when the force is removed.

The chair back 140 is shaped as a complex curve to accommodate the backof the torso area of a person using the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1).Specifically, the chair back 140 is curved from the chair back leftportion 172 to the chair back right portion 176 to curve around thetorso area of the person using the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1). Thechair back 140 is curved from the chair back left portion 172 to thechair back right portion 176 such that, when a cross-sectional view ofthe chair back 140 is taken parallel to the transverse plane 136 (shownin FIG. 1), the chair back 140 is forwardly concave. The chair back 140is also curved from the chair back top portion 164 to the chair backbottom portion 168 to support the back of the person using the chair 100(shown in FIG. 1). The chair back 140 is curved from the chair back topportion 164 to the chair back bottom portion 168 such that, when across-sectional view of the chair back 140 is taken parallel to themedial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair back 140 is forwardlyconvex. Together, both curves of the chair back 140 improve the comfortof the user of the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1).

Additionally, the chair back 140 includes a chair back top edge 180 anda vertical slot 184. The chair back top edge 180 extends along the chairback top portion 164 from the chair back left portion 172 to the chairback right portion 176. The vertical slot 184 extends through the chairback front side 156 and the chair back side 160 and extends downwardlyfrom the chair back top edge 180 toward the chair back bottom portion168. The vertical slot 184 interrupts the chair back top edge 180thereby reducing the mechanical tension across the chair back top edge180 and enabling movement of the chair back left portion 172 and thechair back right portion 176 relative to each other as the user leansback in the chair 100.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the chair seat 144 includes a chair seat top side188 facing upwardly and a chair seat bottom side 192 arranged oppositethe chair seat top side 188 and facing downwardly. The chair seat 144also includes a chair seat front portion 196, a chair seat back portion200, a chair seat left portion 204, and a chair seat right portion 208.The chair seat left portion 204 is arranged to the left of the medialplane 132 (shown in FIG. 1) and the chair seat right portion 208 isarranged to the right of the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1).

The chair seat 144 is constructed out of polypropylene such that thechair seat 144 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its originalshape when the force is removed. In another embodiment, the chair seat144 need not be constructed out of polypropylene, but is constructed outof a material having substantially similar properties such that thechair seat 144 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its originalshape when the force is removed.

The chair seat 144 is shaped as a complex curve to accommodate thebuttocks and upper leg areas of a person using the chair 100.Specifically, the chair seat 144 is curved from the chair seat leftportion 204 to the chair seat right portion 208 to accommodate thebuttocks and upper leg areas of the person using the chair 100 (shown inFIG. 1). The chair seat 144 is curved from the chair seat left portion204 to the chair seat right portion 208 such that, when across-sectional view of the chair seat 144 is taken parallel to thefrontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair seat 144 is upwardlyconcave. The chair seat 144 is also curved from the chair seat frontportion 196 to the chair seat back portion 200 to support the upper legareas of the person using the chair 100. The chair seat 144 is curvedfrom the chair seat front portion 196 to the chair seat back portion 200such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seat 144 is takenparallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair seat 144is upwardly convex. Together, both curves of the chair seat 144 improvethe comfort of the user of the chair 100.

The chair seat 144 is also slightly curved at the chair seat frontportion 196 to provide additional comfort where the user's upper legareas contact the chair seat 144 while a user is sitting in the chair100 (shown in FIG. 1). Specifically, the chair seat front portion 196 iscurved downwardly and backwardly such that a smooth curve 198 facesupwardly and forwardly toward a user's upper legs at the chair seatfront portion 196.

Turning now to FIG. 4, the support assembly 148 includes front legs 212,back legs 216, a front primary support bar 220, a back primary supportbar 224, a left secondary support bar 228, and a right secondary supportbar 232. When the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the chairseat 144 is coupled to, and is supported by, the support assembly 148.The support assembly 148 is constructed of one inch by one half inchrectangular tubing or one inch tubing to provide lightweight, strong,and durable support for a user. In alternative embodiments, however, thesupport assembly 148 need not be constructed of one inch by one halfinch rectangular tubing or one inch tubing, but does providelightweight, strong, and durable support for a user.

Returning to FIG. 4, the front legs 212 are located at the chair frontportion 104 (shown in FIG. 1) and are oriented such that they extenddownwardly substantially orthogonally to the transverse plane 136 (shownin FIG. 1). The back legs 216 are located at the chair back portion 108(shown in FIG. 1) and are oriented such that they extend backwardly andoutwardly as they also extend downwardly. The position and orientationof the legs 212 and 216 provides a large area for a stable distributionof weight of a user seated in the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1) andreduces the chance that the chair 100 will tip when a user seated in thechair 100 leans backwardly.

The front primary support bar 220 is coupled to both front legs 212 suchthat it is located at the chair front portion 104 (shown in FIG. 1) andis oriented substantially orthogonally to the medial plane 132 (shown inFIG. 1). The back primary support bar 224 is coupled to both back legs216 such that it is located at the chair back portion 108 (shown inFIG. 1) and is oriented substantially orthogonally to the medial plane132 (shown in FIG. 1). The back primary support bar 224 is curved suchthat, when a cross-sectional view of the back primary support bar 224 istaken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the backprimary support bar 224 is upwardly convex. The shapes of the frontprimary support bar 220 and the back primary support bar 224 aresubstantially complementary to the shape of the chair seat bottom side192 (shown in FIG. 3) to enable a secure connection between the chairseat 144 and the support assembly 148 when the chair 100 is assembled asshown in FIG. 1. The front primary support bar 220 is fixedly coupled tothe front legs 212 and the back primary support bar 224 is fixedlycoupled to the back legs 216 by welding. In another embodiment, theprimary support bars 164, 168 need not be welded, but are fixedlycoupled to the legs 156 and 160, respectively.

The left secondary support bar 228 is coupled to the front primarysupport bar 220 and to the back primary support bar 224, is arranged inthe chair left portion 112 (shown in FIG. 1), and is orientedsubstantially orthogonally to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1).The right secondary support bar 232 is coupled to the front primarysupport bar 220 and to the back primary support bar 224, is arranged inthe chair right portion 116 (shown in FIG. 1), and is orientedsubstantially orthogonally to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1).The left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar232 are fixedly coupled to the primary support bars 220 and 224 bywelding. In another embodiment, the secondary support bars 228 and 232need not be welded, but are fixedly coupled to the primary support bars220 and 224.

When the chair 100 is configured as shown in FIG. 1, the chair seatbottom side 192 (shown in FIG. 3) is coupled to the secondary supportbars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4). Accordingly, the secondary supportbars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4) are arranged and configured todistribute and support the weight of the user of the chair 100 over thesupport assembly 148. To this end, the secondary support bars 228 and232 (shown in FIG. 4) angle inwardly, toward one another, as they extendbackwardly from the front primary support bar 220 toward the backprimary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4). The angled arrangement of thesecondary support bars 228 and 232 provides more support near theintersection of the medial plane 132 and the transverse plane 136, wherethe majority of the user's weight is concentrated when the user isseated in the chair 100, and provides more stability near the chairfront portion 104, where the user supports himself while entering andexiting the chair 100.

Turning now to FIG. 5, the coupling assembly 152 includes a buckle 236.The coupling assembly 152 is located at the chair back portion 108 andextends into both the chair top portion 120 and the chair bottom portion124 (shown in FIG. 1). The buckle 236 is constructed out of deep drawnsheet metal, for example, ¼″ steel. Deep drawn sheet metal deforms orcrushes when flexed or bent; therefore, the buckle 236 is not flexibleor bendable.

The buckle 236 includes a buckle upright portion 244, a buckle lowerportion 248, and a buckle bend portion 252. The buckle 236 also includesa buckle front side 256 and a buckle back side 260. The buckle frontside 256 is configured to face forwardly and the buckle back side 260 isarranged opposite the buckle front side 256 and is configured to facebackwardly. The buckle 236 is configured such that, when the chair 100is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle upright portion 244 iscoupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) and the bucklelower portion 248 is coupled to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG.4). Because the buckle 236 is not flexible or bendable, when the chair100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the chair back 140, coupled to thebuckle upright portion 244, is fixed in position relative to the chairseat 144, coupled to the support assembly 148, which is coupled to thebuckle lower portion 248.

The buckle upright portion 244 includes a buckle top portion 264, abuckle upright left portion 268, a buckle upright right portion 272, andan opening 276. The buckle top portion 264 extends along the top of thebuckle 236. The buckle upright left portion 268 and buckle upright rightportion 272 extend downwardly from the buckle top portion 264 toward thebuckle bend portion 252. The opening 276 extends through the bucklefront side 256 and the buckle back side 260 in the buckle uprightportion 208. The opening 276 is located between the buckle top portion264, the buckle upright left portion 268, the buckle upright rightportion 272, and the buckle bend portion 252. The opening 276 is formedby a lack of material in the buckle upright portion 244 to reduce theamount of material used to make the buckle 236 to facilitate arelatively small and sleek configuration.

The buckle upright portion 244 is configured to mate with the chair backside 160 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1. To enablethe coupling assembly 152 to lie flatly against the chair back 140 whenthe chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle uprightportion 244 is curved substantially complementarily to the chair back140. Specifically, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved from thebuckle upright left portion 268 to the buckle upright right portion 272such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle upright portion 244is taken parallel to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), thebuckle upright portion 244 is forwardly concave. Additionally, thebuckle upright portion 244 is curved from the buckle top portion 264toward the buckle lower portion 248 such that, when a cross-sectionalview of the buckle upright portion 244 is taken parallel to the medialplane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle upright portion 244 is forwardlyconvex. The curves of the buckle upright portion 244 increase themechanical stiffness of the buckle 236, enabling construction of astiffer buckle 236 out of less material. Accordingly, the buckle uprightportion 244 is relatively thin but also has a relatively high mechanicalstiffness.

The buckle upright portion 244 is coupled to the chair back side 160using conventional fasteners. In at least one embodiment, the couplingassembly 152 further includes rubber buffers arranged and fastenedbetween the buckle upright portion 244 and the chair back side 160 toprovide a stable, conforming connection.

The buckle lower portion 248 is configured to mate with the back primarysupport bar 224, the left secondary support bar 228, and the rightsecondary support bar 232 (shown in FIG. 4) when the chair 100 isassembled as shown in FIG. 1. To enable the coupling assembly 152 to lieflatly against the support assembly 148 when the chair 100 is assembledas shown in FIG. 1, the buckle lower portion 248 is curved substantiallycomplementarily to the back primary support bar 224. Specifically, thebuckle lower portion 248 is curved such that, when a cross-sectionalview of the buckle lower portion 248 is taken parallel to the medialplane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle lower portion 248 is upwardlyconvex. The curve of the buckle lower portion 248 increases themechanical stiffness of the buckle 236, enabling construction of astiffer buckle 236 out of less material. Accordingly, the buckle lowerportion 248 is relatively thin but also has a relatively high mechanicalstiffness.

The buckle lower portion 248 includes a buckle front edge 284, primarybuckle holes 288, and secondary buckle holes 292. The primary buckleholes 288 are configured on the buckle lower portion 248 such thatfasteners (not shown) inserted through the primary buckle holes 288couple the buckle 236 to the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG.4). The secondary buckle holes 292 are configured on the buckle lowerportion 248 such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through thesecondary buckle holes 292 couple the buckle 236 to the left secondarysupport bar 228 and the right secondary support bar 232 (shown in FIG.4). In at least one embodiment, the fasteners are typical machinescrews, and the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4) includescorresponding threaded holes to engage the machine screws. In at leastone embodiment, the coupling assembly 152 also includes rubber bufferspositioned between the buckle 236 and the support assembly 148 (shown inFIG. 4) to provide a stable, conforming connection. The primary buckleholes 288 and the secondary buckle holes 292 are arranged symmetricallyrelative to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). To enable couplingto the respective portions of the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG.4), the secondary buckle holes 292 are arranged closer to the bucklefront edge 284 than the primary buckle holes 288, and the secondarybuckle holes 292 are spaced farther outwardly than the primary buckleholes 288.

The buckle bend portion 252 is arranged between and connects the buckleupright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The buckle bendportion 252 is curved such that, when a cross-sectional view of thebuckle bend portion 252 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shownin FIG. 1), the buckle bend portion 252 is forwardly and upwardlyconcave. The buckle bend portion 252 is configured such that the buckleupright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 are arranged at anangle A relative to one another. The angle A is defined as projectedonto the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). Because the buckle 236 isnot flexible or bendable, the angle A is not variable. In thisembodiment, the angle A is about 97 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the chair 100 is assembled, the chair back 140is coupled to the buckle upright portion 244 and the chair seat 144 iscoupled to the support assembly 148 which is coupled to the buckle lowerportion 248 such that the chair back 140 is arranged at an angle Crelative to the chair seat 144. Like angle A (shown in FIG. 5), angle Cis also defined as projected onto the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG.1). When no force is applied to the chair 100, the angle C issubstantially the same as angle A (shown in FIG. 5) between the chairupright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The angle C isvariable, however, because the chair back 140 and the chair seat 144 areconstructed out of polypropylene and because the chair back 140 includesthe vertical slot 184 (shown in FIG. 2).

In particular, in use, a user sits on the chair seat top side 188 withhis/her back against the chair back front side 156. When a user sits onthe chair seat top side 188, the user applies a downward force D to thechair seat 144 in direction substantially orthogonal to and away fromthe transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1). Because the chair seat 144is constructed out of polypropylene, the chair seat 144 flexes slightlydownwardly under the downward force D to slightly increase the angle C.In particular, the chair seat front portion 196 flexes more than thechair seat back portion 200 because the chair seat front portion 196 isfarther than the chair seat back portion 200 from the location where thechair seat 144 is coupled to the support assembly 148.

When the user leans back in the chair 100, the user applies a backwardforce B to the chair back 140 that is backward relative to the frontalplane 128 (shown in FIG. 1) and downward relative to the transverseplane 136 (shown in FIG. 1). Because the chair back 140 is constructedout of polypropylene, the chair back 140 flexes slightly backwardlyunder the backward force B to further slightly increase the angle C. Inparticular, the chair back top portion 164 flexes more than the chairback bottom portion 168 because the chair back top portion 164 isfarther than the chair back bottom portion 168 from the location wherethe chair back 140 is coupled to the buckle upright portion 244.

Additionally, the vertical slot 184 (shown in FIG. 2) in the chair back140 allows each of the chair back left portion 172 and the chair backright portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) to move backwardly and outwardlysuch that the chair back 140 flexes under the applied force toaccommodate the user's body further slightly increasing the angle C. Theangle C is thus variable even though the angle A (shown in FIG. 5) isnot variable. The chair 100 is configured to accommodate the user movingthe chair back 140 relative to the chair seat 144 to any angle C that isin a range of, for example, 97 through 104 degrees.

When the user no longer leans back in the chair 100 and, thus, no longerapplies a backward force B to the chair back 140, the angle C betweenthe chair back 140 and the chair seat 144 decreases as the chair back140 moves upwardly and forwardly to return to its initial position.Additionally, the angle C further decreases as the chair back leftportion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) moveinwardly and forwardly to return to their initial positions. When theuser no longer sits in the chair 100 and, thus, no longer applies adownward force D to the chair seat 144, the angle C further decreases asthe chair seat 144 moves upwardly to return to its initial position.

Returning to FIG. 2, because the chair back left portion 172 and thechair back right portion 176 move inwardly as they move forwardly when auser ceases to apply a backward force B (shown in FIG. 6) to the chairback 140, the vertical slot 184 becomes narrower. Accordingly, anyportion of the user's back which remains in contact with the chair back140 is pinched within the narrowing vertical slot 184. Thus, to improvethe comfort of the user, the vertical slot 184 is configured to enableflexure of the chair back when the user applies a backward force B andto prevent pinching the user when the user ceases to apply the backwardforce B. Specifically, the vertical slot 184 has a vertical slot width324 and a vertical slot length 328 which are configured to enableflexure and prevent pinching while maintaining the structural integrityof the chair back 140. In one embodiment, the vertical slot width 324is, for example, 0.4 inches. In one embodiment, the vertical slot length328 is, for example, 7.6 inches.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the chair 100 is not being used for sitting,the chair 100 is stackable with other identical chairs 100. Theconfiguration of the back legs 216 and the front legs 212 allows thesupport assembly 148 of each chair 100 to be forwardly offset from thechair 100 below such that the back legs 216 and the front legs 212 donot interfere with those of the chair 100 below. Additionally, theconfiguration of the primary support bars 220 and 224 and the secondarysupport bars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4) allows the support assembly148 of each chair 100 to be nested on the chair seat top side 188 of thechair 100 below. Additionally, the configuration and curvature of thebuckle 236 (shown in FIG. 5), including the relative thinness of thebuckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248, allows thecoupling assembly 152 of each chair 100 to be nested on the chair backfront side 156 of the chair 100 below. Accordingly, the chairs 100 areconfigured to be stacked in high density and to be stored compactly.

FIG. 8 depicts a chair 100′ having a support assembly 148′. The chair100′ is substantially similar to the chair 100 described above and shownin FIG. 1. The chair 100′ includes a support assembly 148′ that issubstantially similar to the support assembly 148 described above andshown in FIG. 4. The support assembly 148′ differs from the supportassembly 148, however, in that the support assembly 148′ includes asupport post 210′ and axial legs 214′ instead of two front legs 212 andtwo back legs 216. Specifically, the support assembly 148′ includes afront primary support bar, a back primary support bar, a left secondarysupport bar, and a right secondary support bar coupled to the chair seat144′. The support post 210′ is coupled to, and extends downwardlyrelative to, at least one of the front primary support bar, back primarysupport bar, left secondary support bar, and right secondary supportbar. Alternatively, the support post 210′ can include a plate (notshown) which is coupled to at least one of the front primary supportbar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, and rightsecondary support bar. The support post 210′ is coupled to, and extendsdownwardly relative to, the plate.

The support post 210′ is substantially cylindrically shaped, is orientedsubstantially orthogonally to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG.1), and is positioned at an approximate center of mass of the chair100′. The axial legs 214′ extend from the support post 210′ such thateach of the axial legs 214′ is equidistantly spaced from the adjacentaxial legs 214′. In this embodiment, the support assembly 148′ includesfive axial legs 214′.

The support assembly 148′ also includes chair arms 218′ arranged andconfigured to support the arms of a user while the user is seated in thechair 100′. The chair arms 218′ are coupled to at least one of the frontprimary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary supportbar, and right secondary support bar such that the chair arms 218′extend upwardly and forwardly and are arranged and configured to supportthe arms of a user while the user is seated in the chair 100′. In atleast one embodiment, the chair arms 218′ are integrally formed with theback primary support bar.

FIG. 9 depicts a chair 100″ having a support assembly 148″ and a chairseat 144″. The chair 100″ is substantially similar to the chair 100′described above and shown in FIG. 8. The chair 100″ differs from thechair 100′, however, in that the support assembly 148″ includes asupport post 210″ and a base plate 211″ instead of the support post 210′and axial legs 214′ included in the support assembly 148′. Additionally,the chair 100″ differs from the chair 100′ in that the chair seat 144″includes chair arms 218″.

Specifically, the support assembly 148″ includes a front primary supportbar, a back primary support bar, a left secondary support bar, and aright secondary support bar. The support post 210″ is coupled to, andextends downwardly relative to, at least one of the front primarysupport bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, andright secondary support bar. Alternatively, the support post 210″ caninclude a plate (not shown) which couples to at least one of the frontprimary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary supportbar, and right secondary support bar such that the support post 210″.The support post 210″ couples to, and extends downwardly from, theplate. Alternatively, the support post 210″ can include a plate (notshown) which is coupled to the chair seat 144″. The support post 210″couples to, and extends downwardly from, the plate.

The support post 210″ is substantially cylindrically shaped, is orientedsubstantially orthogonally to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG.1), and is positioned at an approximate center of mass of the chair100″. The base plate 211″ is coupled to the support post 210″ oppositethe front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondarysupport bar, right secondary support bar, or chair seat 144″ and isarranged and configured to stably support the chair 100″ in lieu oflegs.

The chair seat 144″ is substantially similar to the chair seat 144described above and shown in FIG. 3. The chair seat 144″ differs fromthe chair seat 144, however, in that the chair seat 144″ includes chairarms 218″ extending from the chair seat left portion 204″ and the chairseat right portion 208″. In this embodiment, the chair arms 218″ areintegrally formed with the chair seat 144″ to present a sleek shapeformed using simple manufacturing techniques. In alternativeembodiments, however, the chair arms 218″ need not be integrally formedwith the chair seat 144″, but do present a sleek shape formed usingsimple manufacturing techniques.

The chair seat 144″ is arranged and configured such that the chair arms218″ support the arms of a user while the user is seated in the chair100″. Specifically, the chair seat 144″ curves at the chair seat leftportion 204″ such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seatleft portion 204″ is taken parallel to the frontal plane 128 (shown inFIG. 1), the chair seat left portion 204″ is inwardly and upwardlyconcave. Similarly, the chair seat 144″ curves at the chair seat rightportion 208″ such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seatright portion 208″ is taken parallel to the frontal plane 128 (shown inFIG. 1), the chair seat right portion 208″ is inwardly and upwardlyconcave.

The chair arms 218″ include outer edges 217″, front edges 219″, backedges 221″, and a top side 223″. The chair arms 218″ extend from thechair seat 144″ toward the outer edges 217″ outwardly and upwardlyrelative to the chair seat 144″ such that the chair arms 218″ resembleoutstretched wings. The chair arms 218″ taper as they extend toward theouter edges 217″ such that, nearest to the chair seat 144″, the frontedge 219″ of each chair arm 218″ is closer to the back edge 221″ of eachchair arm 218″ and, nearest to the outer edges 217″, the front edge 219″of each chair arm 218″ is farther from the back edge 221″ of each chairarm 218″. In at least one embodiment, the chair seat 144″ and the chairarms 218″ are padded with a continuous pad extending along the top side223″ of each of the chair arms 218″ and the chair seat top side 188″ ofthe chair seat 144″. In at least one other embodiment, the chair seat144″ is padded with a pad and the chair arms 218″ are not padded. In atleast one other embodiment, neither the chair seat 144″ nor the chairarms 218″ are padded.

In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a flexiblebuckle coupling assembly 154 (shown in FIG. 10) instead of the couplingassembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 10, the flexible bucklecoupling assembly 154 includes a flexible buckle 238 and vertical panels240. The flexible buckle 238 is substantially similar to the buckle 236described above and shown in FIG. 5. The flexible buckle 238, however,differs from the buckle 236 in that the flexible buckle 238 is flexibleand is indirectly coupled to the chair back 140 via the vertical panels240.

Turning now to FIG. 10, the flexible coupling assembly 154, includingthe flexible buckle 238 and the vertical panels 240, is located at thechair back portion 108 and extends into both the chair top portion 120and the chair bottom portion 124 (shown in FIG. 1). The flexible buckle238 is configured to be coupled to the back primary support bar 224, theleft secondary support bar 228, and the right secondary support bar 232of the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). The vertical panels 240are configured to be coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG.2). The flexible buckle 238 and the vertical panels 240 are configuredto fit together such that, when the chair 100 is assembled as shown inFIG. 1, the positions of the vertical panels 240 are fixed relative tothe flexible buckle 238, thereby fixing the position of the chair back140 relative to the support assembly 148. To facilitate mating with thevertical panels 240, which are coupled to the chair back 140, theflexible buckle 238 is flexible such that it is conformable to thevertical panels 240 and to the shape of the chair back 140.

The flexible buckle 238 is constructed of die cast magnesium to providestrength and flexibility to the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154.In alternative embodiments, however, the flexible buckle 238 need not beconstructed of die cast magnesium, but is constructed of anothermaterial having similar strength and flexibility. Like the buckle 236(shown in FIG. 5), the flexible buckle 238 includes a buckle uprightportion 244, a buckle lower portion 248, a buckle bend portion 252, abuckle front side 256, and a buckle back side 260. Further, the buckleupright portion 244 also includes a buckle top portion 264, a buckleupright left portion 268, a buckle upright right portion 272, and anopening 276. The opening 276 formed by a lack of material in the buckleupright portion 244, reduces the amount of material used to make theflexible buckle 238 and also increases the conformability of the buckleupright portion 244 to the vertical panels 240 and, thus, to the chairback 140 (shown in FIG. 2).

The buckle upright left portion 268 and the buckle upright right portion272 each include a buckle notch 280 cut into the flexible buckle 238.The buckle notches 280 are located between the buckle top portion 264and the buckle bend portion 252. The buckle upright left portion 268 andthe buckle upright right portion 272 are configured to mate with thevertical panels 240, which are coupled to the chair back side 160 whenthe chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1. To enable the flexiblebuckle coupling assembly 154 to lie flatly against the chair back 140when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle uprightportion 244 is curved substantially complementarily to the chair back140. Specifically, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved from thebuckle upright left portion 268 to the buckle upright right portion 272such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle upright portion 244is taken parallel to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), thebuckle upright portion 244 is forwardly concave. Additionally, thebuckle upright portion 244 is curved from the buckle top portion 264toward the buckle lower portion 248 such that, when a cross-sectionalview of the buckle upright portion 244 is taken parallel to the medialplane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle upright portion 244 is forwardlyconvex. The curves of the buckle upright portion 244 increase themechanical stiffness of the flexible buckle 238, enabling constructionof a stiffer flexible buckle 238 out of less material. Accordingly, thebuckle upright portion 244 is relatively thin but also has a relativelyhigh mechanical stiffness.

The buckle lower portion 248 of the flexible buckle 238 is configured tomate with the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4) when thechair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1 in the same manner asdescribed above with respect to buckle 236. The buckle lower portion 248of the flexible buckle 238 is coupled to the back primary support bar224, the left secondary support bar 228, and the right secondary supportbar 232 (shown in FIG. 4) in the same manner as described above withrespect to buckle 236.

The buckle bend portion 252 is arranged between and connects the buckleupright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The buckle bendportion 252 is curved such that, when a cross-sectional view of thebuckle bend portion 252 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shownin FIG. 1), the buckle bend portion 252 is forwardly and upwardlyconcave. The buckle bend portion 252 is configured such that the buckleupright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 are arranged at anangle E relative to one another. The angle E is defined as projectedonto the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1).

The flexible buckle 238 further includes vertical tracks 296 and ribs300. The vertical tracks 296 extend forwardly from the buckle front side256 and extend along the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle bendportion 252 in a direction from the buckle lower portion 248 toward thebuckle top portion 264. The vertical tracks 296 extend along the sidesof the buckle upright left portion 268 and the buckle upright rightportion 272 and are configured to engage the vertical panels 240.

The ribs 300 extend backwardly from the buckle front side 256 into thebuckle 236 and extend along the entire buckle bend portion 252, and alsoextend slightly along the buckle upright portion 244 and the bucklelower portion 248, in the same direction as the vertical tracks 296.Because the ribs 300 extend into the flexible buckle 238, the ribs 300are an absence of material within the flexible buckle 238, particularlyin the buckle bend portion 252. The added flexibility of the flexiblebuckle 238 due to the ribs 300 enables conformability of the flexiblebuckle 238 to the vertical panels 240 and, thus, to the shape of thechair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2). Additionally, because the ribs 300extend along the entire buckle bend portion 252, the buckle bend portion252 is more flexible than the buckle upright portion 244 and the bucklelower portion 248. The buckle bend portion 252 is semi-flexible suchthat the angle E is variable.

The flexibility of the buckle bend portion 252 is determined by thematerial used for the flexible buckle 238, the thickness of the flexiblebuckle 238 at the buckle bend portion 252, and by the size and number ofribs 300 provided in the flexible buckle 238. Accordingly, one way toalter the flexibility of the buckle bend portion 252, and thus the rangeof angle E, is by changing the size and number of ribs 300. When noforce is applied to the flexible buckle 238, the buckle upright portion244 is oriented at an angle E that is the smallest angle in the range ofangle E relative to the buckle lower portion 248.

Each of the vertical panels 240 includes a panel front side 304, a panelback side 308, panel holes 312, panel raised edges 316 and a panel tab320. The panel holes 312 extend through the vertical panels 240 and areconfigured such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through the panelholes 312 couple the vertical panels 240 to the chair back side 160(shown in FIG. 1). When the vertical panels 240 are coupled to the chairback side 160, the panel front side 304 of each vertical panel 240 abutsthe chair back side 160. The panel raised edges 316 extend along thesides of the vertical panels 240 and extend backwardly and outwardlyfrom the panel back sides 308 such that the vertical panels 240 aregenerally forwardly convex. The panel raised edges 316 are sized andconfigured to be slidably received within the vertical tracks 296 suchthat the flexible buckle 238 slidably mates with the vertical panels240. Each of the panel tabs 320 is located between the panel raisededges 316 and extends backwardly from the panel back sides 308. Thepanel tabs 320 are sized and configured to extend within the bucklenotches 280 when the panel raised edges 316 are received within thevertical tracks 296.

When the panel tabs 320 extend within the buckle notches 280, the panelraised edges 316 of the vertical panels 240 are fixed in positionrelative to the vertical tracks 296 located on the buckle uprightportion 244. Because the vertical panels 240 are coupled to the chairback side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) and the buckle lower portion 248 iscoupled to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4), fixing theposition of the vertical panels 240 relative to the vertical tracks 296also fixes the position of the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2) relativeto the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). Referring to FIG. 1,because the chair seat 144 is fixedly coupled to the support assembly148, fixing the position of the chair back 140 relative to the supportassembly 148 also fixes the position of the chair back 140 relative tothe chair seat 144.

Accordingly, referring again to FIG. 10, when the vertical panels 240are coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) and are fixedin position relative to the vertical tracks 296, which are located onthe buckle upright portion 244, and the buckle lower portion 248 iscoupled to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4) along with thechair seat 144 (shown in FIG. 3), the angle E between the buckle uprightportion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 is substantially equivalentto the angle C (shown in FIG. 6) between the chair back 140 and thechair seat 144. Changing the angle E between the buckle upright portion244 and the buckle lower portion 248 also changes the angle C betweenthe chair back 140 and the chair seat 144 (shown in FIG. 6).

Turning again to FIG. 6, before the user sits in the chair 100, theangle E is the smallest angle in the range of angle E, and the angle Cis the smallest angle in the range of angle C. When the user sits on thechair seat top side 188 and applies the downward force D to the chairseat 144, the polypropylene chair seat 144 flexes downwardly under thedownward force D to slightly increase the angle C.

When the user leans back in the chair 100 and applies the backward forceB to the chair back 140, the polypropylene chair back 140 flexesslightly backwardly under the backward force B to further slightlyincrease the angle C. Additionally, each of the chair back left portion172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) movebackwardly and outwardly due to the vertical slot 184, furtherincreasing the angle C. Additionally, at least a portion of the backwardforce B applied to the chair back 140 is transferred through thevertical panels 240 (shown in FIG. 10) to the buckle upright portion 244of the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154. When the buckle uprightportion 244 is forced backwardly, the flexible buckle 238 flexes at thebuckle bend portion 252 which enables the buckle upright portion 244 tomove backwardly and downwardly while the buckle lower portion 248remains stationary due to its connection to the support assembly 148.Moving the buckle upright portion 244 relative to the buckle lowerportion 248 increases the angle E (shown in FIG. 10) and moves the chairback 140 relative to the chair seat 144, which also further increasesthe angle C.

When the user no longer leans back in the chair 100 and, thus, no longerapplies the backward force B, the angle C decreases as the polypropylenechair back 140 moves upwardly and forwardly to return to its initialposition. Additionally, the angle C further decreases as the chair backleft portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2)move inwardly and forwardly to return to their initial positions.Additionally, the angle C further decreases as the flexible buckle 238returns to its initial position wherein the buckle upright portion 244is oriented at the smallest angle in the range of angle E (shown in FIG.10) relative to the buckle lower portion 248. When the user no longersits in the chair 100 and, thus, no longer applies a downward force D tothe chair seat 144, the angle C further decreases as the chair seat 144moves upwardly to return to its initial position.

In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a snap covercoupling assembly 332 (shown in FIG. 11) instead of the flexible bucklecoupling assembly 154 (shown in FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 11, the snapcover coupling assembly 332 includes a snap cover buckle 336 and a snapcover plate 340 but does not include vertical tracks 296 (shown in FIG.10). The snap cover buckle 336 is substantially similar to the buckle236 described above and shown in FIG. 10. The snap cover buckle 336,however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the snap cover buckle 336is directly coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) insteadof being indirectly coupled to the chair back 140 via the verticaltracks 296.

The snap cover buckle 336 is constructed from injection molded glassreinforced nylon or another material with similar strength, flexibility,durability, and weight. The snap cover buckle 336 includes elongatedribs (not shown), upright portion holes 348, and upright portion slots352. The elongated ribs are configured and arranged substantiallysimilarly to the ribs 300 (shown in FIG. 10). Because the snap coverbuckle 336 is coupled directly to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG.2), however, the elongated ribs extend along the entire buckle uprightportion 244 to facilitate conformability of the snap cover buckle 336 tothe chair back 140. The upright portion holes 348 extend through thebuckle upright portion 244 such that fasteners (not shown) insertedthrough the upright portion holes 348 couple the upright portion 244 tothe chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2).

The snap cover plate 340 is sized and configured to conceal thefasteners extending through the upright portion holes 348 in the buckleupright portion 244 when the snap cover buckle 336 is coupled to thechair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2). To this end, the snap cover plate340 includes cover plate tabs 356 sized and configured to extend withinthe upright portion slots 352 in the snap cover buckle 336. Each coverplate tab 356 includes a cover plate tab foot 360 which extends from thecover plate tab 356 such that it presses against the upright portionslot 352 when the cover plate tab 356 is inserted into the uprightportion slot 352 to retain the snap cover plate 340 on the snap coverbuckle 336.

The cover plate tabs 356 and the cover plate tab feet 360 are integrallyformed with the snap cover plate 340 to facilitate ease of manufacturingand retention of the whole snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle336. The snap cover plate 340 is constructed from polystyrene oracrylonitrile butadiene styrene so that the snap cover plate 340, thecover plate tabs 356, and the cover plate tab feet 360 are flexibleenough to snap onto the snap cover buckle 336, but are stiff enough toretain the position of the snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle336. Alternatively, the snap cover plate 340 need not be constructedfrom polystyrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, but is flexibleenough to snap onto the snap cover buckle 336 and stiff enough to retainthe position of the snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle 336.

An advantage of this embodiment is that only the snap cover buckle 336is coupled to the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2) to reduce assemblytime and the number of separate parts to be assembled. Another advantageof this embodiment is that the entire snap cover buckle 336 couples tothe chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) to improve the security of theconnection between the snap cover coupling assembly 332 and the chairback 140 (shown in FIG. 2).

In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a lockingcoupling assembly 364 (shown in FIG. 12) instead of the couplingassembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 12, the lockingcoupling assembly 364 includes a locking buckle 368 and a chair backlocking portion 372. The locking buckle 368 is substantially similar tothe buckle 236 described above and shown in FIG. 5. The locking buckle368, however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the locking buckle 368is coupled to the chair back side 160 via the chair back locking portion372 and does not require any additional parts or fasteners to befastened to the chair back 140.

The locking buckle 368 includes a top tab strip 376, side tab strips380, and a bottom tab strip 384 arranged on the buckle front side 256 ofthe locking buckle 368. The top tab strip 376 is located at the buckletop portion 264, a side tab strip 380 is located on each of the buckleupright left portion 268 and the buckle upright right portion 272, andthe bottom tab strip 384 is located near the buckle bend portion 252 ofthe locking buckle 368. Each of the tab strips 376, 380 and 384 includesa tab strip raised ledge 388. The tab strip raised ledge 388 of the toptab strip 376 extends forwardly and upwardly from the top tab strip 376,the tab strip raised ledges 388 of the side tab strips 380 extendforwardly and outwardly from the side tab strips 380, and the tab stripraised ledges 388 of the bottom tab strip 384 extends forwardly anddownwardly from the bottom tab strip 384. Each of the side tab strips380 further includes a tab strip hook 292 extending forwardly andupwardly from the side tab strips 380 to form a hook facing the chairback locking portion 372.

The chair back locking portion 372 includes undercut slots 396 extendinginto the chair back 140 from the chair back side 160. The undercut slots396 are arranged and configured to receive the tab strip raised ledges388 on the locking buckle 368 such that the top tab strip 376, the sidetab strips 380, and the bottom tab strip 384 lock the locking buckle 368onto the chair back 140. The chair back locking portion 372 furtherincludes hook slots 400 extending upwardly into a chair back bottom edge170 in the chair back bottom portion 168 of the chair back 140. The hookslots 400 are arranged and configured to receive the tab strip hooks 292on the locking buckle 368 such that the side tab strips 380 further lockthe locking buckle 368 onto the chair back 140.

An advantage of this embodiment is that no additional parts are requiredto couple the chair back 140 and the locking coupling assembly 364. Afurther advantage of this embodiment is the ease of coupling the chairback 140 to the locking buckle 368 of the locking coupling assembly 364by inserting the tab strip raised ledges 388 into the undercut slots 396and inserting the tab strip hooks 292 into the hook slots 400.

In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a fittedbuckle 404 (shown in FIG. 13) instead of the buckle 236 (shown in FIG.5). As shown in FIG. 13, the fitted buckle 404 is substantially similarto the buckle 236 described above and shown in FIG. 5. The fitted buckle404, however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the fitted buckle 404is further includes a buckle groove 408 formed in the buckle lowerportion 248.

The buckle groove 408 includes a groove upper portion 412, a groovelower portion 416, and a groove bend portion 420. The groove upperportion 412 extends forwardly of the groove lower portion 416, and thegroove upper portion 412 includes primary buckle holes 288 and secondarybuckle holes 292 as described above with reference to buckle 236. In analternative embodiment, the groove lower portion 416 extends forwardlyof the groove upper portion 412, and the groove lower portion 416includes the primary buckle holes 288 and the secondary buckle holes292. In another alternative embodiment, the groove upper portion 412includes the primary buckle holes 288 and the groove lower portion 416includes the secondary buckle holes 292. The groove lower portion 416 ispositioned below and is spaced apart from the groove upper portion 412by the groove bend portion 420. The groove bend portion 420 isconfigured such that, when a cross-sectional view of the fitted buckle404 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), thegroove bend portion 420 is forwardly concave. The groove bend portion420 is sized and configured to receive the back primary support bar 224(shown in FIG. 4) in its forward concavity such that fasteners (notshown) inserted through the primary buckle holes 288 and secondarybuckle holes 292 couple the fitted buckle 404 to the support assembly148.

An advantage of this embodiment is that the buckle groove 408 receives,in addition to being coupled to, the back primary support bar 224 (shownin FIG. 4) to provide additional stability to the connection between thecoupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5) and the support assembly 148(shown in FIG. 4). This improves the ability of the chair 100 to remainsecurely assembled when a user leans against the chair back 140 andapplies a backward force B (shown in FIG. 6) to the fitted buckle 404.An additional advantage of this embodiment is that the fitted buckle 404covers a portion of the back primary support bar 224 and a portion ofthe connection between the fitted buckle 404 and the support assembly148 to present a smooth aesthetic on the chair back portion 108.

In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a bent supportassembly 424 (shown in FIG. 14) instead of the support assembly 148(shown in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 14, the bent support assembly 424 issubstantially similar to the support assembly 148 described above andshown in FIG. 4. The bent support assembly 424, however, differs fromthe support assembly 148 in that the left secondary support bar 228 andthe right secondary support bar 232 extend upwardly behind, and arecoupled to, the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) to eliminate theneed for the buckle 236 of the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5).

More specifically, the left secondary support bar 228 includes a leftsecondary support bar bend portion 428, a left secondary support barupright portion 432, and a left secondary support bar open top 436. Theleft secondary support bar open top 436 is located at an end of the leftsecondary support bar upright portion 432 opposite the left secondarysupport bar bend portion 428. Similarly, the right secondary support bar232 includes a right secondary support bar bend portion 440, a rightsecondary support bar upright portion 444, and a right secondary supportbar open top 448. The right secondary support bar open top 448 islocated at an end of the right secondary support bar upright portion 444opposite the right secondary support bar bend portion 440.

The left secondary support bar bend portion 428, the left secondarysupport bar upright portion 432, the right secondary support bar bendportion 440, and the right secondary support bar upright portion 444 areextensions of the left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondarysupport bar 232, respectively, and are thus constructed out of the samematerial as the secondary support bars 228, 232. Namely, in thisembodiment, the left secondary support bar bend portion 428, the leftsecondary support bar upright portion 432, the right secondary supportbar bend portion 440, and the right secondary support bar uprightportion 444 are constructed out of 1 inch by ½ inch rectangular tube.

The left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar232 are coupled to the front primary support bar 220 and the backprimary support bar 224 such that the left secondary support bar bendportion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 440 extendbackwardly relative to the back primary support bar 224. The leftsecondary bar upright portion 432 and the right secondary bar uprightportion 444 extend upwardly from the respective secondary support barbend portion 428, 440 such that the left secondary support bar open top436 and the right secondary support bar open top 448 are locatedopposite the back primary support bar 224. The left secondary bar bendportion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 436 areconfigured such that, when a cross-sectional view of the bent supportassembly 424 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG.1), the left secondary support bar bend portion 428 and the rightsecondary support bar bend portion 436 are forwardly and upwardlyconcave.

The bent support assembly 424 further includes inserts 452 and a cap456. The inserts 452 are sized and configured such that one insert 452is inserted through the left secondary support bar open top 436, is fedthrough the left secondary support bar upright portion 432, and ispositioned within the left secondary support bar bend portion 428. Theinserts 452 are sized and configured such that one insert 452 isinserted through the right secondary support bar open top 448, is fedthrough the right secondary support bar upright portion 444, and ispositioned within the right secondary support bar bend portion 440. Theinserts 452 are configured to support the left secondary support barbend portion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 436 toallow the movement of the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 6) relative tothe chair seat 144 (shown in FIG. 6) without deforming the bent supportassembly 424.

The cap 456 is sized and configured to be inserted contemporaneouslyinto the left secondary support bar open top 436 and into the rightsecondary support bar open top 448 after the inserts 452 have beenpositioned within the secondary support bar bend portions 428 and 440.The cap 456 seals the secondary support bar open tops 436 and 448 toprevent objects from being unintentionally inserted into the bentsupport assembly 424, to improve the appearance of the bent supportassembly 424, and to provide an easily grippable portion of the chair100. The cap 456 is constructed of die cast zinc alloy or of somematerial having similar properties.

An advantage of this embodiment is that the bent support assembly 424replaces the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5) such that the bentsupport assembly 424 can simultaneously act as the support assembly 148(shown in FIG. 4) and the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5),reducing the number of parts and the amount of assembly required toproduce the chair 100. Due to the reduced number of parts, the bentsupport assembly 424 is relatively inexpensive to produce and has arelatively light weight. Another advantage of this embodiment is thatthe bent support assembly 424 can be welded together, enabling a shorterassembly time and a simpler assembly process.

FIG. 15 depicts a chair 500 that is substantially similar to the chair100 described above and shown in FIG. 1. The chair 500 includes a chairback 540 that is substantially similar to the chair back 140 describedabove and shown in FIG. 2, a chair seat 544 that is substantiallysimilar to the chair seat 144 described above and shown in FIG. 3, asupport assembly 548 that is substantially similar to the supportassembly 148 described above and shown in FIG. 4, and a couplingassembly 552 that is substantially similar to the coupling assembly 152described above and shown in FIG. 5. The chair 500, however, differsfrom the chair 100 in that the chair 500 further includes additionalfeatures coupled to the chair back 540, the chair seat 544, the supportassembly 548 and the coupling assembly 552 that provide additionalcomfort to a user sitting in the chair 500. Namely, the chair 500further includes a seat spacer assembly 550 coupled to the chair seat544 and the support assembly 548. The chair 500 also includes a backspacer assembly 558 coupled to the chair back 540 and the couplingassembly 552.

The seat spacer assembly 550 is shown in more detail in FIG. 16. Eachseat spacer assembly 550 includes a spacer 570, a support assemblyfastener 578 and four chair seat fasteners 579. The spacers 570 areconstructed out of a semi-compressible material such as, for example,rubber. Due to their semi-compressibility, the spacers 570 act, in part,as cushions. Each spacer 570 includes a substantially hollow body 571having a support assembly contacting face 572 configured to contact thesupport assembly 548 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG.15. Opposite the support assembly contacting face 572, each spacer 570includes a flange 573 extending from the body 571. Each flange 573includes a first portion 574 and a second portion 575. The spacer 570 isconfigured such that the support assembly contacting face 572 issubstantially level while the flange 573 is angled such that the firstportion 574 is at an angle F relative to the second portion 575. In thisembodiment, the angle F of the first portion 574 relative to the secondportion 575 is approximately equal to 5 degrees. One benefit of theangle F is that it enables the spacer 570 to snugly fit between thechair seat 544 and the support assembly 548 and thus consistentlysupport the chair seat 544 for a user sitting in the chair 500 asassembled as shown in FIG. 15.

Returning now to FIG. 16, each spacer 570 further includes a supportassembly fastener hole 576 formed in the approximate center of thesupport assembly contacting face 572. The support assembly fastener hole576 is configured to receive a support assembly fastener 578 to securelycouple the spacer 570 to the support assembly 548. Each spacer 570further includes four chair seat fastener holes 577 formed in a spacedarrangement around the flange 573. The chair seat fastener holes 577 areconfigured to receive the chair seat fasteners 579 to securely couplethe spacer 570 to the chair seat 544. To assemble the seat spacerassembly 550 of the chair 500 as shown in FIG. 15, the support assemblyfasteners 578 are inserted through the support assembly 548 and into thespacers 570. Additionally, the chair seat fasteners 579 are insertedthrough the flanges 573 of the spacers 570 and into the chair seat 544.One benefit of the seat spacer assembly 550 is the accommodation orcushioning of the user of the chair 500 by slightly compressing thespacers 570 between the chair seat 544 and the support assembly 548.This accommodation is provided in addition to that given by features ofthe chair 100 discussed above.

The back spacer assembly 558 is shown in more detail in FIG. 17. Theback spacer assembly 558 includes back spacers 580, plates 581, chairback fasteners 583, and buckle fasteners 587. The back spacers 580 areconstructed out of a semi-compressible material such as, for example,rubber. Due to their semi-compressibility, the back spacers 580 act, inpart, as cushions. The back spacers 580 include slight preformed curvesconfigured such that the back spacers 580 conform easily to the complexcurvature of the buckle 536 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown inFIG. 15.

The plates 581 are constructed out of a rigid material such as, forexample, metal. The plates 581 include chair back fastener holes 582formed through the plates 581 and oriented perpendicularly relative tothe chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15.The chair back fastener holes 582 are configured to receive chair backfasteners 583 to securely couple the plates 581 to the chair back 540.

The plates 581 further include tabs 584 extending from the plates 581substantially perpendicularly away from the chair back 540 when thechair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. The tabs 584 are configuredto receive and grip the back spacers 580 such that each back spacer 580is loosely held in place by the tabs 584 of one of the plates 581 whenthe chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15.

Each plate 581 further includes a plate barrel 585 extending from theplates 581 substantially perpendicularly away from the chair back 540when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. Each plate barrel585 includes an opening 586 formed therethrough that is orientedsubstantially parallel to the chair back 540 when the chair 500 isassembled as shown in FIG. 15. Each openings 586 has an inside diametersized and configured to receive a buckle fastener 587. In thisembodiment, the inside diameter of the openings 586 is 0.256 inches.

The back spacer assembly 558 further includes buckle barrels 588 formedon the buckle 536. The buckle barrels 588 are oriented in the samemanner as the plate barrels 585. Each buckle barrel 588 also includes anopenings 589 formed therethrough that is oriented substantially parallelto the chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG.15. Each openings 589 has an inside diameter sized and configured toreceive a buckle fastener 587. In this embodiment, the inside diameterof the openings 589 is 0.250 inches. The buckle barrels 588 are arrangedin a particularly spaced arrangement on the buckle 536 so that, when thechair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15, the buckle barrels 588 areadjacent to the plate barrels 585 and the openings 589 of the bucklebarrels 588 are aligned with the openings 586 of the plate barrels 585.

To assemble the back spacing assembly 558 of the chair 500 as shown inFIG. 15, the chair back fasteners 583 are inserted through the plates581 and into the chair back 540 to securely couple the plates 581 to thechair back 540. One back spacer 580 is then fitted between the tabs 584of each plate 581. The buckle 536 is then placed on the back spacers 580opposite the plates 581 such that the buckle barrels 588 are adjacent tothe plate barrels 585 and the openings 589 are aligned with the openings586. Buckle fasteners 587 are then inserted through the opening 589 ofeach buckle barrel 588 and the opening 586 of adjacent plate barrel 585.

One result of the configuration of the back spacer assembly 558 is thatthe chair back 540 can rotate relative to the buckle 536 of the couplingassembly 552 about the buckle fasteners 587. Thus, the relationshipbetween the plate barrels 585, the buckle barrels 588 and the bucklefasteners 587 is a hinge-type relationship. In one embodiment, thebuckle fasteners 587 are spring pins configured to bias the chair back540 forwardly. Another result of the configuration of the back spacerassembly 558 is that the back spacers 580 can slightly compress betweenthe chair back 540 and the buckle 536 when a user leans back on thechair 500. Both of these results contribute to the benefit of the backspacer assembly 558, namely the accommodation or cushioning of the userof the chair 500. This accommodation is provided in addition to thatgiven by features of the chair 100 discussed above. The chair 500 shownin FIG. 15 includes the accommodation provided by both the back spacerassembly 558 and the seat spacer assembly 550.

The foregoing detailed description of one or more embodiments of thechair having flexibility between the seat and the back has beenpresented herein by way of example only and not limitation. It will berecognized that there are advantages to certain individual features andfunctions described herein. Moreover, it will be recognized that variousalternatives, modifications, variations or improvements of theabove-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, oralternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many otherdifferent embodiments, systems or applications. Previously unforeseen orunanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvementstherein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which arealso intended to be encompassed by the appended claims. Therefore, thespirit and scope of any appended claims should not be limited to thedescription of the embodiments contained herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A chair comprising: a support assembly; a chairseat coupled to the support assembly; a buckle having a buckle upperportion and a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled tothe support assembly; and a chair back, wherein: a chair back bottomportion is coupled to the buckle upper portion; a chair back top portionincludes a top edge; and the chair back top portion further includes aslot formed in the top edge and extending toward the chair back bottomportion, the slot arranged between a chair back left portion and a chairback right portion and configured such that the chair back left portionis movable relative to the chair back right portion.
 2. The chair ofclaim 1, wherein the chair back is arranged at an obtuse angle relativeto the chair seat and the obtuse angle is variable within a range ofangles.
 3. The chair of claim 2, wherein the chair seat is flexible andis configured such that applying a downward force to the chair seatincreases the obtuse angle.
 4. The chair of claim 2, wherein the chairback is flexible and is configured such that applying a backward forceto the chair back increases the obtuse angle.
 5. The chair of claim 2,wherein the slot is configured to reduce a mechanical tension across thetop edge such that applying a backward force to the chair back increasesthe obtuse angle.
 6. The chair of claim 2, wherein the slot isconfigured such that applying a backward force to the chair back topportion moves the chair back left portion relative to the chair backright portion to increase the obtuse angle.
 7. The chair of claim 1,wherein the chair seat and the chair back are polypropylene.
 8. Thechair of claim 2, wherein the range of angles is approximately 97through approximately 104 degrees.
 9. The chair of claim 2, wherein thechair is configured to be stackable with at least one other identicalchair.
 10. The chair of claim 1, wherein the slot has a width ofapproximately 0.4 inches.
 11. The chair of claim 1, wherein the slot hasa length of approximately 7.6 inches.
 12. The chair of claim 1, furthercomprising a cover plate, wherein the buckle has a buckle front side anda buckle back side, the chair back coupled to the buckle front side, thecover plate coupled to the buckle back side with a snap-fitconfiguration.
 13. The chair of claim 1, wherein: the support assemblyincludes a support bar; and the buckle lower portion includes a grooveconfigured to receive at least a portion of the support bar.
 14. Thechair of claim 1, further comprising at least one seat cushion arrangedbetween the support assembly and the chair seat.
 15. The chair of claim1, further comprising at least one back cushion arranged between thechair back and the buckle.
 16. The chair of claim 15, furthercomprising: at least one first opening formed on the buckle; at leastone second opening formed on the chair back; and at least one fastenerconfigured to engage the at least one first opening and the at least onesecond opening to form a hinge between the buckle and the chair back.17. The chair of claim 16, wherein the at least one back cushion isarranged between the chair back and the buckle adjacent to the hinge.18. The chair of claim 16, wherein the at least one fastener is a springpin configured to bias the chair back relative to the buckle.
 19. Achair comprising: a support assembly; a chair seat coupled to thesupport assembly; a coupling assembly comprising: a buckle having: abuckle upper portion arranged at an angle relative to a buckle lowerportion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly, thebuckle upper portion having at least one vertical rail; and a bucklebend portion arranged between the buckle upper portion and the bucklelower portion, the buckle bend portion including a plurality of ribsformed in the buckle and configured to enable the buckle bend portion toflex to vary the angle; and at least one vertical panel, the at leastone vertical panel configured to slidably mate with the at least onevertical rail; and a chair back coupled to the at least one verticalpanel.
 20. The chair of claim 19 wherein: the buckle upper portion hasat least one notch; and the at least one vertical panel has: at leastone raised edge configured to slidably mate with the at least onevertical rail; and at least one tab configured to fit within the atleast one notch to fix a position of the at least one vertical panelrelative to the buckle.
 21. The chair of claim 19, wherein: the buckleupper portion includes two upright portions; the at least one verticalrail includes two vertical rails formed along each of the two uprightportions; the at least one notch is formed between two vertical rails onat least one of the two upright portions; the at least one verticalpanel includes two vertical panels; and each of the two vertical panelsis configured to slidably mate with one of the two upright portions. 22.The chair of claim 19, further comprising a cover plate, wherein thebuckle has a buckle front side and a buckle back side, the at least onevertical rail on the buckle front side, the cover plate coupled to thebuckle back side with a snap-fit configuration.
 23. A chair comprising:a support assembly; a chair seat coupled to the support assembly; achair back having a chair back front side and a chair back side; and acoupling assembly comprising: a buckle having a buckle upper portion anda buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the supportassembly, the buckle upper portion having at least one tab; and at leastone slot formed in the chair back side, the at least one slot configuredto receive the at least one tab to fix a position of the chair backrelative to the buckle.
 24. The chair of claim 23, wherein the at leastone tab includes a hook and the at least one slot includes a hook slotconfigured to receive the hook such that gravity further fixes theposition of the chair back relative to the buckle.
 25. The chair ofclaim 23, wherein the at least one tab is received within the at leastone slot in a snap-fit configuration.
 26. A chair comprising: a supportassembly having a lower portion, a bend portion, and an upright portion,the support assembly including at least one insert configured to bereceived within the bend portion, the support assembly further includingat least one cap configured to extend at least partially within theupright portion; a chair seat coupled to the lower portion; and a chairback coupled to the upright portion, wherein the chair back is arrangedat an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat.
 27. The chair of claim26, wherein the support assembly is constructed out of one inch by onehalf inch metal tubing.
 28. The chair of claim 27, wherein the at leastone insert is configured to prevent deformation in the bend portion. 29.The chair of claim 26, wherein the upright portion includes two uprighttubes and the at least one cap is configured to extend at leastpartially within each of the two upright tubes contemporaneously.
 30. Achair comprising: a support assembly; a chair seat coupled to thesupport assembly, the chair seat having a left portion, a right portion,a front portion, and a back portion; chair arms integrally formed withand extending outwardly from the left portion and the right portion ofthe chair seat, each of the chair arms having an inward portion, anoutward portion, a front portion, and a back portion, the front portionsand the back portions of each of the chair arms being coincident withthe front portion and the back portion of the chair seat, each of thechair arms being tapered such that the front portions and the backportions of each of the chair arms are closer together at the outwardportions than at the inward portions; a coupling assembly coupled to thesupport assembly; and a chair back coupled to the coupling assembly. 31.The chair of claim 30, wherein the chair arms have chair arm top sidesand the chair seat has a chair seat top side, the chair arm top sidesand the chair seat top side covered by a continuous cushion.